500 signatures reached
To: The Board of County Commissioners (Santa Fe County, NM)
Protect the Cerrillos Hills State Park from Toxic Tailings & Add Prehistoric Turquoise Mine to Park
1) please recommit to funding the acquisition of the 1000 AD prehistoric Native American turquoise mine, the largest in North America: the Mt. Chal Cultural Property, for the Cerrillos Hills State Park, and work to complete the purchase of the neighboring property, CGP, and
2) please continue working with the NM Environment Department (NMED) to collect and isolate toxic tailings of an abandoned lead-mine above both CGP & the Park. The toxics are washing towards the Park, and this must be remediated by working to implement the plan. Taxpayers have already provided significant monies towards the needed cleanup and and the acquisitions, and these must be completed, for the public welfare.
Why is this important?
As both acquisition and cleanup are under threat of defunding, I fully support retaining the funding and reactivating the Santa Fe County / NMED remediation program to clean up lead, mercury, and arsenic from the abandoned Cash Entry mine North of the State Park washing through the Cerrillos Gravel Products parcel. It's essential for the public welfare that these contaminates be remediated and permanently capped in the abandoned gravel pit.
Cleanup is necessary for this largest most significant prehistoric Native American turquoise mine, Mt. Chalchihuitl, to be acquired, protected, and safely appreciated by the public. This acquisition will also add to the economic wellbeing of the Park and the people of the Turquoise Trail area, and New Mexico.
I therefore fully support the acquisitions and remediation program that taxpayers have funded, and I support the purchase of all lands needed for the cleanup program and for inclusion in the Cerrillos Hills State Park.